Hello everyone, I am 19 year old angler from Dhaka, Bangladesh. I'm already an experienced carp fisherman, seeing as fishing runs in my family. But I have never caught a snakehead in my life.

This is not due to a lack of fish. Near where I live there is a big lake called Dhanmondi Lake, which is our primary fishing spot. My father and I have caught innumerable carp there. In fact he has been fishing there for over 40 years. The whole lake is crawling with snakeheads. All you have to do is stand on a bridge and look down for a few minutes, and you WILL see a big fat gozar sticking its head out. I seen a few over two feet long. However I cant catch one. I've tried worms, I've tried topwater lures, I have tried dragging a cluster of hooks through a big ball of snakehead fry, hoping to provoke an attack. Nothing worked.

I am convinced this is not due to 'the fish dont eat hooks'. It's my snakehead fishing techniques which need to be refined, but I dont know how to refine them. I want to catch a snakehead if it is the last thing I do, and I also want to dispel the myth that snakehead cant be caught on artificial lure. That particular myth is quite popular here in Bangladesh. In fact it replaced the old myth that 'Catla and silvercarp dont eat hooks'.

I too am from Dhaka and I am familiar with Dhanmondi lake. However, it is a seriously polluted (despite the latest facelift) piece of water and has a tremendous algal bloom. Lure fishing requires a reasonable clarity of water or a great deal of "noise" from the lures and a greater deal of patience. The best bet for "gojar "Channa marulia" is as suggested, a live hooked fish on a short tether: either a large float strong enough to prevent the live bait form pulling it under or on a "jhilla" i.e. a fish hooked live and put on a strong line and a short bamboo rod stuck into the bank so that the fish on the hook swims just below the surface of the water (with the dorsal fin exposed. When a gojar strikes it hooks itself (not the most sporting of approaches).

Did you try using a live cockroach?? It had worked for me once. Bait them on and let it floating close to any structures around the lake. Also make sure you dont kill them in the process. Try to make sure the fish cannot spot you, as over the period of years the fish will start associating with the fact that Human=Danger!!!! .

My dad has caught snakeheads with live cockroaches... which is the problem. Everybody has caught them using that bait. The snakeheads dont bite that anymore. However I'll still try that. Works for grass carp too huh... well I hope it might work for black carp too. We have monster black carp in the lake, above 30 kg right now.

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